Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) is a common feline disease, and shares many of the features of human HC. Feline HC, like human HC, is characterized by moderate to severe papillary muscle and left ventricular (LV) concentric hypertrophy, as well as systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve. HC is a common cause of heart failure, sudden death, and systemic thromboembolism in domestic cats. Because of the serious nature of the disease, there exists a need to develop reliable methods for diagnosing and preventing feline HC.